Mazda Bongo 2007 Air Cleaner [1229050] on 2040-parts.com

Obama calls for shared sacrifice in auto bailout

President-elect Barack Obama says he wants to keep tough conditions on automakers that get federal loans. The companies must develop sustainable business models because it would be unacceptable "to keep them on their lifeline through taxpayer dollars in perpetuity," Obama told The Washington Post. Obama said industry restructuring will require "everybody, from labor to management to creditors to shareholders, giving something up." His comments contradict suggestions that the new administration will relax federal loan agreements reached last month with General Motors and Chrysler LLC, possibly with softer demands on the UAW.

Toyota announces winners in design competition (w/ Video)

Toyota has announced the winners of a sponsored design competition hosted by London's Royal College of Art. Based on the theme of ‘Intelligent Urban Living', the winners include a simple but effective vertical storage system to keep bikes out of reach of thieves and a keyboard display that makes life easier for two-fingered typists. Inspired by the design of Toyota's innovative iQ city car, which addresses many of the challenges of modern city living with its compact dimensions, the contest generated inspiration that gave a new twist to some familiar household objects and produced innovations to make modern life easier and more environmentally responsible.

Who's Where: Micheal Castiglione joins Ken Okuyama Design

Micheal Castiglione, principal exterior designer on the 2006 Dodge Challenger concept car created at the Chrysler Group's now defunct Pacifica Studio on the west coast, has now joined Ken Okuyama Design. As Chief Designer, Castiglione will be tasked with designing products as well as cars once the company establishes itself in an as yet undisclosed location. "We're really busy with a number of projects that Ken's got going," Castiglione told CDN.